Mickeygee - thank you so much for reading and reviesing! spread the word. the chapters from now on vary in length more...this one's a bit longer but it didn't work when i tried splitting it up.
CHAPTER 4 – RECKLESS
"Will ya hurry it up?! Me shouldahs are killlin' me!"
"Hold on, I'se almost done!" I say from up above. I'm standing on Kid Blink's shoulders, looking over a hedge into the party. "Got it!" I whisper triumphantly as I jump down.
"God, who evah thought someone so skinny could be so heavy!" Blink states, rubbing his shoulders.
I playfully punch him, "C'mon, we'se gotta hurry to get back before Skitt notices we was gone. Now, up against the wall is tah table wid all the food and whiskey. The butlah is handin' out cigahs when the people entah. Now, I'se gonna walk up tah the front an' say that I'm here tah tend the stables. He's gotta take me through the house and the back. Once I'se out there I'se gonna do somethin' to grab people's attention. From what I seen there was about 3 bulls, I'll make sure they start cahsin' me. You'll be up in that tree close to the house. While they'se all distracted, jump down, grab a bottle or 2 and run. If youse can, grab the cigahs. Meet you in the ususal spot. Got it?"
Earlier that day, I had met up with Kid Blink and we'd scoped out the area, but it was hard because the party was still being set up. We had concocted this plan and were hoping to return and surprise Skittery.
I walk around the house and up to the front door. On the way, I spot a rat on the ground. With a new idea in mind, I quickly capture it and put it in my pocket. I pull up my suspenders and try to make myself look somewhat presentable in order for our plan to work. I wait for a couple to pass and be admitted before I approach the door.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry I'm late, but I was called to manage the stables tonight," I say in my best accent.
"Yes, yes, right this way," the butler says, not caring.
On the way through the yard, I secretly let down the rat. A few steps later I suddenly stop and start patting my pockets like I've lost something.
"Did you misplace something?"
"I think so," I say loudly, "my pet rat." This starts all the women screaming, and that brings the bulls over. I run up to one of them, grab his nightstick and physically curse him off. That gets them mad enough to start chasing me so I run.
I have the advantage, knowing the city so well. I run up the fire escape of a building, hoping Blink got some whiskey. Suddenly, I jump off the roof. It's only about 6 feet off the ground, but the bulls don't know that and it looks like a regular roof. When I discovered it, I showed it to all the other Newsies, and the bulls still haven't caught on.
I wait a few minutes just to make sure they're really gone. Then I trot along the streets until I spot the pile of crates where we usually meet. There's a problem. Some of the crates are knocked over, and I see Blink kneeling on the ground.
I race over, and I'm about to ask what's wrong when I see a girl, lying on the ground, unconscious.
"What happened?!" I exclaim in a whisper.
"I dind't see her, and she was hidin' behind the crates, and I didn't see her, and she got knocked out-"
"Can you carry her?" I interrupt.
"Yeah, but-"
"Nevah mind, just carry her as fast as you can back to the lodgin' house. I'se gonna run ahead and tell Kloppman."
I take off running. When I near the lodging house, I can hear the loud voices of all the guys having a good time. When I rush in I see everyone either smoking, drinking, or playing cards.
"Hey Reck! Where ya been?" asks Snitch, stumbling a little, "Come and-"
He stops talking when he sees the expression on my face. Suddenly, it's completely silent.
"Where's Kloppman?" I ask breathlessly.
All the guys can tell by the look on my face that ti isn't a time to ask questions. Itey runs into the back room to fetch Kloppman. I turn to Mush.
"Tell him we'se got a hoit goil, and she's out. I don't know much else, but she could be more hoit. I gotta go help Blink bring 'er in."
"I'll help you," says Skittery unexpectedly.
"Are you sure?" I ask, but I don't wait for a response, I just run out and I can hear him follow.
We quickly run the few blocks to meet up with Blink. To give him a rest, Skittery takes the girl.
By the time we get back to the lodging house, the room is pretty much clear of any remains of the party, and someone had thrown a blanket over the couch.
We walk in and Skittery carefully lays her down with a gentleness I've never really seen him use, but with the urgency of the situation it is pushed to the back of my mind. Kloppman comes over to examine her. While he does, I do as well.
She has on a threadbare brown dress, with an apron over it. At one time, it may have been beige. Her hair is about shoulder length and blondish, but dark at the same time. She has some sort of wrap on, which Kloppman gingerly removes. We all gasp at the sight of the bruises covering her arms and the rest of her upper body.
"She has a dislocated shouldah," he says eventually, with a grim tone in his voice, "I'll need tah reset it. A few minah cuts besides but not anything that bad."
Her eyes flutter as she begins to wake up.
"Bettah do it quick, before she really wakes up. Blink! Reck! Skitt! Hold her, so she don't hoit herself no more."
We rapidly reach over and hold down her arms and legs careful of the bruises. Kloppman quickly reaches over and pops her shoulder back into its socket. She gasps, grimaces, as we do, and then groans.
"There's nothin' more we can do for now, we'll just have tah wait 'til mornin'." Kloppman says with a grim look on his face. He turns around and motions for everyone to go upstairs.
Blink, Skitt and I remain there, staring at this strange girl we know nothing about. When she closes her eyes and goes to sleep, we 3 decide in a whispered conference that we'll spend the night down here, next to the couch, since we feel partially responsible. We quickly head upstairs to get our bedding.
When we get back downstairs, I give Skittery a quick hug and then hand him the one cigar I had in my pocket.
"Happy Boithday, Skitt," I whisper, "wasn't this a great present for yah?"
At that time, I honestly had no idea how true those words would actually become.